Shoulder strap for ladies&#39; garments



1 1927. Feb M. B. LAIRD SHOULDER STRAP FOR LADIES GABMENTS Filed May 4, 1925 Patented Feb, 1, 1927..

rarss halal? PATENT SHOULDER STRAP FOR LADIES GARMEN'IS.

Application filed May 4, 1925. Serial No. 27,726.

My invention relates to improvements in shoulder straps for ladies? undergarments.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, straps of this kind have been secured at both ends to the garment whereby such straps were neither detachable nor adjustable, with the result that in many instances, the straps become loose and are inclined to slide from the shoulders. In such cases the wearer naturally grasps the strap with her hand and pulls it back to its position. This is required so often that these straps become very much soiled and need washing more often than the garment itself. There are still other objections to such shoulder straps as heretofore used, such as no provision being made whereby the garment may be raised or lowered, which is often required.

My object is to overcome the aforesaid difficulties by providing a shoulder strap which is both detachable and adjustable. By virtue of the detachable feature, the straps may be washed as often as it may be required and by virtue of the feature of adjustability, the garment may be raised or lowered to suit the wish of the wearer and to any desired extent.

My invention consists in providing a mem- 39 her equipped with clasps, preferably connected with both ends of the strap. There are two clasps on each member, one is a spring clasp adapted to engage the garment whereby the strap is connected with the garment; and the other a clasp which engages the strap, the latter being movable through the member and so exposed that it is directly acted on by the clasp for purposes of adjustment.

Referring now particularly to the drawing forming a part of the application:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating my improvement and showing two shoulder straps, each of which is equipped with two of my improved clasp members one being located at each end;

Fig. 2 is a front view of one of my improved clasp members shown in connect-ion with the shoulder strap and the garment, the 59 strap and garment being largely broken away. In this view the parts are shown on alargcr scale than in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 88, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4e-4c,

Fig. 2.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views. Let the numeral '5 designate each of two shoulder straps and as these straps are alike, a description of one with the clasp members which are connected therewith, will be sufficient for both.

My improved clasp member is designated in its entirety by the numeral 6, its upper portion being provided with transverse slits or slots 7 spaced from each other, the material 8 between these slots being offset or pressed out of the plane of the body of the member a distance equal to the thickness of the material plus the thickness of the strap so that the shoulder strap may pass through the slots and in front of the offset member without bending as clearlyillustrated in the drawing.

Pivotally mounted on the upper portion of the body part 9 of the member 6 is a clasp 10, its ends being pivoted as shown at 12 in outwardly projecting ears 13 formed on the part 9. The construction of this clasp may be varied at pleasure, no particular form being required so long as it performs the function of grasping the portion 5 of the shoulder strap which passes through the member 6 in front of the offset part 8 as heretofore described. In the drawing referring more par- 35 ticularly to Fig. 3, a conventional form of clasp is illustrated, its part 10 which engages the strap when in the securing position, being located above or beyond the pivotal center of the clasp so that it will remain in the adjusted position and will only be detached or released by design. In order to make provision for readily releasing this clasp, its lower portion is turned outwardly from the plate 9 as shown at 14c.

Upon the lower portion of the plate 9 is mounted a clasp 15, the same being pivoted in the outwardly projecting ears 16 with which the plate 9 is equipped. The pivot of this clasp 15 is preferably a pin 17 upon which is mounted a torsional spring 18 one extremity 19 engaging the clasp above the pivot and the other extremity 20 engaging the plate 9 above the pivot, the arrangement being such that the clasp 15 is normally under tension to grasp and hold the garment which is designated by the numeral 21.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my invention will be readily understood. One of the members 6 is applied to each extremity of each shoulder strap 5. That is to say each strap is preferably equipped with two of these members,

though one would answer the purpose. In applying a device 6 to the strap, the clasp 10 would be opened after which the strap could be threaded through the plate 9 as well'illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, after which the clasp 10 would be thrown to the securing posit-ion or that illustrated-in the drawing. Having applied one of these devices to each :e-ndlof the strap, the strap -'is lthen applied to the garment by vc ausingithe clasps 15 to engage the upper edge thereof as shown in Fig. 1;

Assumingnow-that it is desiredtoremove the strap for purposes of washing, it is only necessary to release the two clasps 15, in

which event thewstrapis detached (from the :garment. The strapmay-then be readily removed from themember 6 by opening the claspiLO when the strap will be .entirely freed from the clasp'members.

Againassuming that'it is desired to raise ordower the, garment at'terit has been put- .on,-itzisonly'necessary to open one-ct the claspsv 10 .of each strap, when the strap may-beshortened or lengthened for the purpose of raising or lowering the garment, as inaylbe required. I In many instances: it may be desirable to make an adjustmentnt each .end of the strap, in which event thiswmay be. readily 'done by opening the clasp 10 at each end of the strap. lt-"will beznoted this-is true so .farvas requiring a clasp 10 is concerned; but in order that the strap may be. -.det-achable,-it would bernecessary tohave a member. 6 applied to both ends of the strap, though. only one of :these' I members need '-necessarily be equipped with the clasp part l0.

I Havingnowdescribed my lHVGDtiOIly what I claim asrnew-is:

A support foriladies; garments comprising a shoulder strap and a tast-eningldevice comprising abody' memberof elongated rectangul ar shape,i having two 1 substantially parallel transverse islets, the .materi'al between the slotsibeing offset with respect to the plane of the body.-member,1 a (distance equal-to the thickness of thematerial o'fitbe body member plus the-thickness of theastrap whereby the strapsin passing through the twosl'ots cando so without bending and means for clamping the strapv against .the offset portion.

In testimony whereof I aflix mysign-ature.

MYRTLE B. LAIiRD. 

